Robert Wickens Left Paralyzed from Waist Down After Pocono Accident

Following his accident at Pocono Paceway in August, Robert Wickens confirmed on Thursday night (Oct. 25) that he is paralyzed from the waist down.

Wickens has been posting encouraging videos on social media for the last few months, including small movements of his legs and a ride on his motorized wheelchair with teammate and friend James Hinchcliffe. On Thursday, he clarified his condition on Instagram.

A post shared by Robert Wickens (@robertwickens) on Oct 25, 2018 at 6:06pm PDT

The accident took place on lap 6 during the ABC Supply 500 on Aug. 19. Wickens was racing on the inside of Ryan Hunter-Reay when the two made contact triggering a big wreck. Wickens car flew into the catch fence and spun until the car came to a rest on all four tires.

Following the accident, Wickens was transported to Lehigh Valley Cedar Crest Hospital in Allentown, PA, for evaluation via medical helicopter. Per the Associated Press, Wickens suffered a thoracic spinal fracture, spinal cord injury, neck fracture, tibia and fibula fractures to both legs, fractures in both hands, a fractured right forearm, a fractured elbow, four fractured ribs and a pulmonary contusion.

Despite missing the final three races of the season, Wickens still tied for 10th in IndyCar standings alongside Hinchcliffe. During his rookie season, he tallied four podium finishes and one pole. His best finish of the year came at ISM Raceway in April. With all of those accolades, Wickens was awarded 2018 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year.

About Christian Koelle

Christian Koelle returns to Fronstretch in 2019 in a little different form. After a year and a half of being a news writer, Koelle will contribute ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards content and photography in multiple different series over the course of the season. His favorite tracks include Barber Motorsports Park, Iowa Speedway, Martinsville Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway, and Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville. He's looking to attend tracks he's never attended before this season including Auto Club Speedway and New Hampshire Motor Speedway (the only announced tracks currently). He's an avid fan of Iowa State Cyclones football, Atlanta Braves baseball, and Monster Energy Supercross.